While most of us are familiar with downloading apps for our mobiles, many other devices like smart TVs or voice assistants now have their own too.
In countries like the UK, the government is consulting with citizens to implement new security and privacy guidelines for apps and online app stores, as the popular app stores pose serious security risks to consumer devices.
serious security issues
As the British Government has pointed out, over the past year Android phone users downloaded millions of apps containing Triada and Escobar malware, hosted on various third-party (i.e. unofficial) app stores such as Play Store or Apple Store. .
This resulted in cybercriminals taking control of numerous mobile and internet-connected devices remotely and stealing their personal data and money by registering them for premium subscription services. Apps can also be installed on laptops, game consoles, wearable devices (such as smart watches or fitness trackers), smart TVs, speakers and voice assistants (such as Alexa or Siri), and IoT (internet of things) devices.
It spreads like a virus
Also, most of these devices are linked with each other and sync data, so an infected phone can also contaminate the TV, smartwatch, etc. The malware found on infected devices is called spyware/stalkerware, and it is capable of stealing everything from location and personal data to passwords for email services or even bank accounts.
During the pandemic, the consumption of mobile applications grew exponentially throughout the world, so along with the coronavirus, another digital epidemic began to spread to the hundreds of millions of electronic devices around the planet.
Any personal information stolen by data thieves lurking online can allow hackers to do everything with it, from making purchases and opening credit accounts in your name, to requesting refunds for products you’ve purchased. .
What’s worse, billions of these hacked login credentials are available on the dark web, neatly packaged for hackers to easily download for free or by making small payments in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
You can’t prevent websites from being hacked, but you can take some steps to check if your information can be compromised and limit the damage caused by a hack. By using a password manager that creates unique passwords, you can ensure that if a site is hacked, its stolen password won’t give hackers access to your accounts on other sites.
If your personal data has been compromised, it is very likely that you will not find out until Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn or any other platform where you have given that personal information notifies you of a possible breach of your data.
